On Tuesday the Tour de l'Abitibi's organizing committee revealed the official program for the biggest sports event in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, which will take place from July 16th to July 22nd.

This year, the city of Rouyn-Noranda will be hosting the event, which explains why most of the departures and arrivals will take place in the city. However, some of the other start/finish locations will be shared by Amos, La Sarre, Timiskaming First Nation, Lorrainville, Malartic, and Mont-Brun. The Tour de l’Abitibi will also visit the region of Temiscamingue during the week, a first in fifteen years.

The president of the Tour de l’Abitibi, Mrs. Suzanne Fortin, took this opportunity to announce a major partnership with Desjardins, which joined the team as official presenter for the next three years to come. ‘It is an honour for us to be able to count on Desjardins’s contribution, a company that symbolizes progress and success throughout the province’ proudly announced Mrs. Fortin. Also present at the press conference, Mr. Jean Claude Loranger, general director at Desjardins, who reminded everyone the importance for the company to support an event as grand as the Tour de l’Abitibi.

During the press conference, Mrs. Fortin announced an agreement with TVGO, a television channel that will broadcast the races live during the entire week of competition. This technological breakthrough will give the Tour de l’Abitibi more exposure and will give people from all over the world a chance to be part of the action.

Sanctioned by the UCI, the Tour de l’Abitibi is the only competition of its level in North America and the most important Junior competition in the world. Over the years, this sports' challenge has gained importance inside and outside of the province of Québec. Now over 160 athletes from all over the world participate in the Tour de l’Abitibi every year.